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Once A Pommie Swagman
Sydney 1961. Two bored and broke, sixteen-year-old Pommie-born boys set off on the spur of the
moment to make their fortune.
In six months they thumb, bum and meander across four thousand miles,
from Sydney to Magnetic Island, Julie Creek to Leeton.
This heart-warming memoir is a coming of age for these two young Poms.
They see an Aboriginal man kicked and left for dead by a police officer, at a time when supplying Aboriginees with alcohol was illegal.
When the policeman realises the young boys saw his dastardly deed, he becomes determined to lock them away.
A kindly country doctor helps them get to safety: “Life out here is not
quite the same as in the cities,’’ he tells the boys.
“The weather, the isolation, the distances, things can get pretty tough.
Occasionally we have to make up our own rules.”
They shower in pubs early in the morning, and learn how to camp and survive on the road.
They learn how to make damper, and how good it
tastes with chopped apricot all through it.
They experience riding in a truck as it’s hit by a big roo, they make heartfelt friendships with fellow travellers who give them a ride:
everyone from truckies and removalists to elderly farm widows.
They earn money by picking fruit, clearing yards and helping in cafes.
It’s all part of the adventure of travelling in the great Australian outback.
moment to make their fortune.
In six months they thumb, bum and meander across four thousand miles,
from Sydney to Magnetic Island, Julie Creek to Leeton.
This heart-warming memoir is a coming of age for these two young Poms.
They see an Aboriginal man kicked and left for dead by a police officer, at a time when supplying Aboriginees with alcohol was illegal.
When the policeman realises the young boys saw his dastardly deed, he becomes determined to lock them away.
A kindly country doctor helps them get to safety: “Life out here is not
quite the same as in the cities,’’ he tells the boys.
“The weather, the isolation, the distances, things can get pretty tough.
Occasionally we have to make up our own rules.”
They shower in pubs early in the morning, and learn how to camp and survive on the road.
They learn how to make damper, and how good it
tastes with chopped apricot all through it.
They experience riding in a truck as it’s hit by a big roo, they make heartfelt friendships with fellow travellers who give them a ride:
everyone from truckies and removalists to elderly farm widows.
They earn money by picking fruit, clearing yards and helping in cafes.
It’s all part of the adventure of travelling in the great Australian outback.
360 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 2, 2014
A rollicking good story which flows along easily, skilfully written that compels you keep the pages turning as you progress.
Written about the era of my youth in England, the story reminds me, and will remind our peers, of the changes that have occurred in our Countries. Younger readers will marvel that the world was very different so few years ago - much more open life with less Government.
Recommended to all who enjoy a well written yarn full of nostalgia and humour.
Written about the era of my youth in England, the story reminds me, and will remind our peers, of the changes that have occurred in our Countries. Younger readers will marvel that the world was very different so few years ago - much more open life with less Government.
Recommended to all who enjoy a well written yarn full of nostalgia and humour.
September 12, 2014
A lovely read with a very conversational tone.
Charming stories about what the author got up to as a young scaly wag!
These are the days of yesteryear, when hitchhiking was fairly safe and young people had the time of their lives travelling around, being taken in and cared for by various people along the way.
A great Aussie read.
Charming stories about what the author got up to as a young scaly wag!
These are the days of yesteryear, when hitchhiking was fairly safe and young people had the time of their lives travelling around, being taken in and cared for by various people along the way.
A great Aussie read.
September 25, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book - it's a great tale and NIck Arden Thomas has an easy writing style that appealed to me. He made the characters really come alive on the page. I love that it's a true story! It would make a great Aussie movie.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews